It looks like Apple has been a bit naughty in Italy according to Reuters and not been informing customers of their rights to product guarantees and assistance. Not only that, but they encouraged customers to buy their AppleCare Protection Plan, which actually overlapped with the free assistance required by law. Italy's anti-trust body has been looking at the activities of Apple Sales International, Apple Italia and Apple Retail Italia and fined them for the above practices. They have now fined Apple a total of 900,000 Euros over these shenanigans, which will hopefully put a stop to this. Reuters tried having a chat with three Apple spokesmen about this issue, but they were surprisingly elusive.

Separately, Apple faces an investigation over price-fixing deals with ebook publishers, blocking rivals and hurting customers. But there's more: EU anti-trust authorities are also looking closely at Apple's patents dispute with Samsung, as they suspect that their intellectual property rights may have been unfairly used against their rivals to block sales. We reported on this previously, here, concluding that Apple will now have to actually compete in the marketplace, rather than muzzle their rivals. Oh, such a shame.

It does feel to us as if the departure of Steve Jobs has lead Apple to try more underhand tactics than before. It's one thing to apply the Reality Distortion Field, aka clever marketing and lock your products in with DRM, but quite another to commit such obvious fraud against your customers. It looks like Apple may have started, or will soon start to haemorrhage customers and quite rightly, too.

However, Apple has had a very good reputation in this regard until now, so when they start pulling stunts like this it's very much news. Also, wouldn't you rather be informed about it than be kept in the dark?

EDIT: this info is especially useful to our Italian readers who are looking to buy Apple products, as they can now make an informed decision. Yeah, get the info out there, blog about it, whatever and make sure everybody knows!

Standard procedures. That is exactly how it's done here and it's nothing big to it. When was the last time you bought something and was not asked if you wanted extended protection? The interesting thing here is that Italy is looking into it at all. And I'm pretty sure Apple is not alone in doing it.

I think the customers should get more informed on how their countries work, and I don't think it should land on companies such as Apple to provide that information.

However, Apple has had a very good reputation in this regard until now, so when they start pulling stunts like this it's very much news. Also, wouldn't you rather be informed about it than be kept in the dark?

EDIT: this info is especially useful to our Italian readers who are looking to by Apple products, as they can now make an informed decision. Yeah, get the info out there, blog about it, whatever and make sure everybody knows!

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So is this an admission of employing propaganda to undermine the Holy Apple?

Standard procedures. That is exactly how it's done here and it's nothing big to it. When was the last time you bought something and was not asked if you wanted extended protection? The interesting thing here is that Italy is looking into it at all. And I'm pretty sure Apple is not alone in doing it.

I think the customers should get more informed on how their countries work, and I don't think it should land on companies such as Apple to provide that information.

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Agreed, there shouldn't be any issues here at all. But since the Holy Apple are dealing with non-believers, as well as numerous propaganda spread by media outlets owned by infidels, something like this suddenly becomes a major issue.

Standard procedures. That is exactly how it's done here and it's nothing big to it. When was the last time you bought something and was not asked if you wanted extended protection? The interesting thing here is that Italy is looking into it at all. And I'm pretty sure Apple is not alone in doing it.

I think the customers should get more informed on how their countries work, and I don't think it should land on companies such as Apple to provide that information.

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In the US credit card companies are always trying to sell protection that is guaranteed by law.

Standard procedures. That is exactly how it's done here and it's nothing big to it. When was the last time you bought something and was not asked if you wanted extended protection? The interesting thing here is that Italy is looking into it at all. And I'm pretty sure Apple is not alone in doing it.

I think the customers should get more informed on how their countries work, and I don't think it should land on companies such as Apple to provide that information.

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Thats not what happened. When i buy stuff from my electrical retailer they try and sell me extended warranties, not the company whose product i have just bought.

What Apple have done is sell a product in a country whose laws they will know (as Apple have phenomenally good lawyers) already cover the warranty period for 2 years. For Apple to also sell their own warranty which is not needed under Italian law IS misleading and fraudulent. The fact they have been fined 900 000 Euros backs up that fact.

It is not up to the customer to know their consumer rights inside and out. Apple would have already known them and are simply capitalising fraudulently to make a quick buck. In my country the warranty by right is 12 months, so it would work better here.

Apple done bad, they've been fined for it in a court of law. No arguments.

I don't understand why you're apologizing for Apple here. They were obviously naughty against the likes of your or me, or the anti-trust people wouldn't have fined them almost a million Euros, would they?

If that Reuters news story would have swapped the name "Apple" with that of any other company, I would have reported it just the same. Tell you what, if you can find another similar story, PM it to me and I'll write it up.

Thats not what happened. When i buy stuff from my electrical retailer they try and sell me extended warranties, not the company whose product i have just bought.

What Apple have done is sell a product in a country whose laws they will know (as Apple have phenomenally good lawyers) already cover the warranty period for 2 years. For Apple to also sell their own warranty which is not needed under Italian law IS misleading and fraudulent. The fact they have been fined 900 000 Euros backs up that fact.

It is not up to the customer to know their consumer rights inside and out. Apple would have already known them and are simply capitalising fraudulently to make a quick buck. In my country the warranty by right is 12 months, so it would work better here.

Apple done bad, they've been fined for it in a court of law. No arguments.

I don't understand why you're apologizing for Apple here. They were obviously naughty against the likes of your or me, or the anti-trust people wouldn't have fined them almost a million Euros, would they?

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I am not "apologizing" for Apple as there is no wrongdoing to apologize for in Apple's behalf. It is the Italian court that have made glaring errors, characteristically a sign of the lower levels of enlightenment of heretics and non-believers when they are able to behold the glorious acts of the Holy Apple.

Apple "done bad" according to an untrustworthy court of law, populated with infidels.

I am not "apologizing" for Apple as there is no wrongdoing to apologize for in Apple's behalf. It is the Italian court that have made glaring errors, characteristically a sign of the lower levels of enlightenment of heretics and non-believers when they are able to behold the glorious acts of the Holy Apple.